Nokia Terminal Mode wants cars to embrace phones

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Mobile phone makers have only just managed to come to some kind of agreement over standardising the power socket, but that isn't stopping Nokia lobbying for a unified way of connecting your phone to your car.

Talking at the Geneva Motor Show, Nokia believes it should be easy connect your smartphone to your car to allow services and content from the mobile to be fully integrated with the in-car speakers, displays and control systems.

The initiative, called Terminal Mode, sets out to achieve this, says the company, by proposing an industry standard, to connect all smartphones (not just Nokia) that adopt it. Terminal Mode will support in-car infotainment systems and allow companies like Nokia to offer its GPS software to drivers rather than them having to rely on dedicated systems.

To kick start the concept, Nokia has announced that it has already formed partnerships with car stereo makers Alpine, Harman Becker, and Fiat.